TECH.KNOW BLOG

Heos 7

It seems like everyone wants a simple, compact, do-it-all stereo that uses next-to-no space. Oh, and it should look and sound fantastic too; because why not?

Have you seen the HEOS line? Built by Denon, the HEOS are impressive compact speakers that consistently punch above their weight

It seems like everyone wants a simple, compact, do-it-all stereo that uses next-to-no space. Oh, and it should look and sound fantastic too; because why not?

Have you seen the HEOS line? Built by Denon, the HEOS are impressive compact speakers that consistently punch above their weight class. Any HEOS is going to surprise you, but the one you want is certainly the HEOS 7.

Is it simple? Yes the HEOS 7 is a one-piece solution that wirelessly integrates in to your home network. You find it a plug, download the app and follow a short setup wizard. It took me longer to decide where I wanted to place the speaker, than to finish the setup. Once you have setup the HEOS 7 you will find it intuitive to play from your stored music, online streaming sources, or a NAS drive if that’s how you roll. Please note that the HEOS 7 needs to be operated from a smart device as it has few physical controls.

Is it compact? The HEOS 7 is 9.9lbs and 8 x 18.9 x 6.5 inches. I think that’s compact. I wouldn’t want it to be any smaller. The engineers have to put each of those 7 drivers somewhere.

Can HEOS do it all? I can’t think of a single digital source that the HEOS 7 could not be hooked to. There isn’t any analogue input beyond a mini-jack. However, if you are looking to hook up a record player; this isn’t the type of speaker system you should be building. (It could be done; but LP’s have no place near anything described as compact.)

How does it look? It looks great, and it looks like you are a fully functioning adult. The HEOS 7 isn’t some pop culture MTV endorsed lifestyle product. It’s a brilliant little speaker trimmed in acoustic fabric and brushed stainless. It fits in nicely on a shelf that also hosts art and leather bound books. It will look great in 30 years because a designer shaped it into a piece of sculpture, and you are an adult that no longer needs to be told to wash your hands.

How does the HEOS 7 sound? Fantastic! Some madman at Denon managed to get 7 drivers into the HEOS 7. Five of those drivers are powered, and each one has it’s own class D amplifier because discrete amplification is just plain better. You should always audition sound equipment before you buy, but you won’t be disappointed.

Sonos Play 1

It seems like everyone wants a simple, compact, do-it-all stereo that uses next-to-no space. Oh, and it should look and sound fantastic too; because why not?

Have you seen the HEOS line? Built by Denon, the HEOS are impressive compact speakers that consistently punch above their weight

It seems like everyone wants a simple, compact, do-it-all stereo that uses next-to-no space. Oh, and it should look and sound fantastic too; because why not?

Have you seen the HEOS line? Built by Denon, the HEOS are impressive compact speakers that consistently punch above their weight class. Any HEOS is going to surprise you, but the one you want is certainly the HEOS 7.

Is it simple? Yes the HEOS 7 is a one-piece solution that wirelessly integrates in to your home network. You find it a plug, download the app and follow a short setup wizard. It took me longer to decide where I wanted to place the speaker, than to finish the setup. Once you have setup the HEOS 7 you will find it intuitive to play from your stored music, online streaming sources, or a NAS drive if that’s how you roll. Please note that the HEOS 7 needs to be operated from a smart device as it has few physical controls.

Is it compact? The HEOS 7 is 9.9lbs and 8 x 18.9 x 6.5 inches. I think that’s compact. I wouldn’t want it to be any smaller. The engineers have to put each of those 7 drivers somewhere.

Can HEOS do it all? I can’t think of a single digital source that the HEOS 7 could not be hooked to. There isn’t any analogue input beyond a mini-jack. However, if you are looking to hook up a record player; this isn’t the type of speaker system you should be building. (It could be done; but LP’s have no place near anything described as compact.)

How does it look? It looks great, and it looks like you are a fully functioning adult. The HEOS 7 isn’t some pop culture MTV endorsed lifestyle product. It’s a brilliant little speaker trimmed in acoustic fabric and brushed stainless. It fits in nicely on a shelf that also hosts art and leather bound books. It will look great in 30 years because a designer shaped it into a piece of sculpture, and you are an adult that no longer needs to be told to wash your hands.

How does the HEOS 7 sound? Fantastic! Some madman at Denon managed to get 7 drivers into the HEOS 7. Five of those drivers are powered, and each one has it’s own class D amplifier because discrete amplification is just plain better. You should always audition sound equipment before you buy, but you won’t be disappointed.

Dolby Atmos

Apr 20, 2015

Firstly, a friendly reminder. If you are looking to experience any Dolby format, please remember to set your receiver/amplifier to the appropriate Dolby mode. Many people don't do this, and just assume that the device will figure it out. No it won't. Very few receivers (possibly none)

Firstly, a friendly reminder. If you are looking to experience any Dolby format, please remember to set your receiver/amplifier to the appropriate Dolby mode. Many people don't do this, and just assume that the device will figure it out. No it won't. Very few receivers (possibly none) automatically switch to Dolby without at least being first set into "AUTO".

"What is Atmos? I already have Dolby 7.1 surround sound."

Atmos is primarily about adding a new direction of sound delivered from either; down facing ceiling speakers, or speakers designed to reflect off a ceiling. Why would you want this? Basically, we can hear "up". We are used to perceiving things that are above us; Dolby HD can only place objects in space around us. Atmos adds height to a soundtrack

Let's take a quick trip to the Ardennes forest with "Band of Brothers" to explain why Atmos is so powerful. As we stand here repelling the Axis we can hear the whistle and thud of shells falling around us. This is the 7.1 experience; it's exciting, but we instinctively know we are relatively safe. Suddenly, we hear a shell screaming in directly above us! This is Atmos with its ceiling speakers. We are stuck by sheer terror as our ears now tell us we are in harms way!

Good news, we aren't really in the Ardennes, and I have no idea how to time travel. However, this is what Atmos allows in movies. Suddenly the director can drop a building on your seat, land a helicopter on you, roll you down a hill in an out-of-control car. With Atmos things happen TO you, not just around you.

How good is it at fooling your ears? Excellent! As a I sat watching the demo reel for Atmos I became annoyed that I had chosen a seat below the projector where I could hear the mechanism clicking! But wait, our projector is digital, and makes no sound. Atmos!

It's odd to try and explain how much extra dimensionality having Atmos overhead adds to a home theatre. It's not something you hear when you sit down to your favorite film. It's something you miss when it isn't active. Atmos fills in a hole in the sound stage of a theatre room. Once you hear it working you will understand what was missing. In the same breath, most of the time you won't be able to actually define what you are hearing. Instead, your films will sound more expansive, more enveloping and more engaging.

Is it worth the effort? Yes! Should you hear it for yourself? Yes! Would I recommend Atmos to my friends? I absolutely would.

Quick notes on the test setup I used. Our Atmos home theatre room is 7.4.2. Meaning 7 surrounding speakers; three front, two behind and two middle. Four Atmos (in-ceiling, down-firing) speakers placed directly above the seating position. Finally we have balanced front and rear subwoofers; Plus, plenty of horsepower to drive everything. When you are go full Atmos, remember to choose a receiver with enough power to drive the extra speakers.

Everyone should aspire to Paradigm Prestige speakers. You will need to plan ahead and save your change, but you won’t regret taking the time to earn what I believe is a pinnacle product. These could be the last set of speakers you ever buy.

Paradigm Prestige 85F

Mar 11, 2015

Is there anyone out there who would not love a set of monolithic towers to set you sailing into a hurricane of symphonic perfection? For a long time Paradigm has hit that sweet spot, balancing performance and value. They did this by building the best sounding products possible, but staying

Is there anyone out there who would not love a set of monolithic towers to set you sailing into a hurricane of symphonic perfection? For a long time Paradigm has hit that sweet spot, balancing performance and value. They did this by building the best sounding products possible, but staying humble enough to remember that even we regular Joes want to be able to aspire to ownership of their products.

Paradigm’s only tradeoff was their hyper industrial aesthetic. Their towers were big black sound machines, with heavy cast aluminium driver housings, and proudly displayed hex bolts. You either loved it, or you clipped the grilles on and ignored what lay beneath.

By comparison the Prestige series is beautiful, elegant, and refined. Gone are visible hex heads, clunky housings, and rubber plugged grille inserts. Instead we have refined brushed aluminium, and hand rubbed finishes. The towers stand on handsome half-inch, precision milled, stainless steel plates. Suddenly the ugly duckling is revealed to be a stunning swan.

What Paradigm remembered to keep is their phenomenal sound quality. They added new, more pliable, speaker surrounds; using ridged, super elastic, material that allows for greater excursion. The tweeter is caped in an armored phase plug that is a symphony of machined aluminum. Every piece is shock mounted for maximum dampening of unwanted noises.

I’m giving the finish on the Prestige series it’s own paragraph. This paragraph. The wood veneers are beautifully applied and flawlessly coated. The walnut choices have a timeless retro feel. The hand rubbed cherry and piano black are premium offerings. The two gloss finishes are as smooth as glass, and visually outstanding. Choosing either of the gloss finishes makes the tower feel opulent and luxurious.

Finally we have to ask the question: How does it all come together? Harmoniously! I sat in our listening room for ages. Every song was a revelation. I liked music that I know I don’t like. Suddenly I could pick out every instrument and place it in space. Even watching the 85F’s drivers cycling through heavy rhythm sections is mesmerizing.

Everyone should aspire to Paradigm Prestige speakers. You will need to plan ahead and save your change, but you won’t regret taking the time to earn what I believe is a pinnacle product. These could be the last set of speakers you ever buy.